Phone manufacturer HTC and gaming company Valve, responsible for the immensely popular Steam digital distribution platform, teamed up to create a virtual reality headset that offers 360-degree room-scale motion tracking. All that jargon means users can explore and interact with the universe around them, without bumping into real walls and furniture.

The HTC Vive should give Facebook-owned Oculus a run for its money.

While the final hardware doesn't start shipping until April, I recently got my hands on the Vive Pre development kit. I'll be posting a review once I've had more playtime, but in the meantime, check out what comes in the box.

1/

When I saw the enormous box the HTC Vive came in, I thought, "this is a little ridiculous for just a headset."

Melia Robinson

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Alas, the HTC Vive is so much more.

Melia Robinson

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The headset itself was one of the first things I unpacked. As some early reviews warned, it's rather bulky.

Melia Robinson

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There are 32 little pockmarks on the headset, each containing a motion sensor. The matte black plastic keeps the look refined.

Melia Robinson

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A front-facing camera, which doesn't work in the Pre kit, will show the user the "real world" when they risk walking into something.

How that actually plays out is a translucent grid pops up in front of you in VR so you don't smack your head into the wall.
Melia Robinson

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A long black cable runs from the back of the headset to your PC.

Melia Robinson

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While most VR systems require you to sit with a motion-tracking camera near you, the HTC Vive uses laser-emitting boxes. The system is called Lighthouse.

Melia Robinson

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They send lasers across your gameplay space, up to 15 by 15 feet, so the headset and controllers can orient their location.

Melia Robinson

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I placed mine on high up shelves to maximize visibility.

Melia Robinson

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You could also mount the Lighthouse boxes. This came in the package.

Melia Robinson

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Next I opened the two controllers, which look like remote controls with cuffs attached. They feel sturdy and comfortable in my hands.

Melia Robinson

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The rings contain 24 sensors each, which allow the Lighthouse boxes to track them with a high degree of fidelity.

Translation: these things feel like they're in VR with you.
Melia Robinson

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A trackpad replaces the traditional joysticks you find on a controller. It also provides haptic feedback during gameplay.

Melia Robinson

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The trigger on the underbelly of the controller is surprisingly ergonomic. The side buttons are a little more difficult to reach.

Melia Robinson

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Soon, we were ready to play.

Melia Robinson

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The Valve system prompted me to place the controllers on the floor for calibration.

Melia Robinson

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In Room Setup, I selected Room-Scale so that I could move around and fully take advantage of HTC Vive's motion-tracking capabilities.

The Vive system recognizes that you may or may not have a full room available for appendage gesticulating and body movement.
Screenshot by Melia Robinson

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Next, we mapped out the gameplay space by holding the controllers and taking a lap around the perimeter — skirting any furniture.

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Valve generated this diagram of the space we just drew.

Screenshot by Melia Robinson

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Now, anytime I approach a border while wearing the headset, faint blue lines will appear so I don't crash into things.